NEW YORK—This was the biggest day of the lockout, hockey fans were told throughout Wednesday. It was the day that we would find out whether talks between the NHL and NHLPA had traction, or whether the 2012-13 season was headed down the toilet.

Nope. Welcome to Thursday, the biggest day of the lockout, the day we'll find out whether talks between the NHL and NHLPA have traction, or whether the 2012-13 season is headed down the toilet.

Or maybe it will be Friday that we find out whether talks between the NHL and NHLPA have traction, or whether the 2012-13 season is headed down the toilet.

It took far more time to set up the podium than it did for Daly to deliver a statement and not take any questions from the media.

"I understand you were all waiting down here, so I figured I'd come give you a brief comment," Daly said. "We had a number of meetings today, over many hours. We didn't start meeting until after our Board (of Governors) meeting, but obviously had a couple of sessions with the Players Association. Good, candid dialogue on a lot of issues. There continue to be some critical open issues between the two parties, and we understand the union should be getting back to us on some of those issues. I'm not going to take any questions, and I'll maybe see everybody tomorrow."

That was a Leo Tolstoy novel compared to Ron Hainsey's statement on behalf of the NHLPA a few minutes earlier.

Hainsey, a Winnipeg Jets defenseman, did manage to share a few words in common with Daly, saying: "We had a series of meetings tonight, very candid discussion, and we plan on meeting again tomorrow."

It was, at least in manner of addressing the media, and by extension the hockey-starved public, a stark contrast to late Monday, when Daly and NHLPA special counsel Steve Fehr stood side by side and offered encouraging words.

There was nothing encouraging here, but who knows what to read into that? Who knows what's even going on?

At one point on Wednesday night, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press tweeted: "Source: 'Not looking great' after latest talks tonight between owners, players."

But then, there was Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, tweeting: "I'm hearing positivity from both sides of the aisle the last few minutes, so good news is both sides are still trying hard to get 'er done."

What in the name of the world's most famous podium is going on here?

Nobody outside of the negotiating room knows for sure, and those inside the room aren't spilling the beans. In fact, after Hainsey spoke, Donald Fehr shouted down the hall at reporters that they ought to go home — the reporters were waiting for Daly—and that diversion allowed the rest of the NHLPA's team to slip out of the hotel.

If the NHL and NHLPA want to keep things quiet because they know that their public statements over the past five months have only served to make things worse, that's fine—admirable, even.

But when you make a big show of negotiations, set up a media workroom and fill it with reporters, and know that every single one of your customers (the ones who haven't given up yet, anyway) are hanging on the outcome of what happens ... maybe it would be a good idea to offer more than a few vague words well past midnight.

Some details did leak out that suggested the NHL made concessions, reportedly upping its "make whole" contribution to $300 million, while easing up on some of the harshest of its proposals on contract rules.

The bad news is, some details did leak out—every time that has happened so far, it has been a sign that things were about to take a turn for the worse.

Of course, it only takes one time the other way for a deal to be made. Maybe that will happen, maybe it won't.

Traction or toilet. We don't know, but maybe we'll find out on Thursday, the latest day to be the most important one of the whole lockout.